Made in the Upstate: Meyco Products thrives making pool covers, tents

Tuesday

Dec 24, 2013 at 4:21 PM

When driving through Moore, it can be easy to miss the multimillion-dollar company with a manufacturing facility along Highway 221.

By Zach Foxzach.fox@shj.com

When driving through Moore, it can be easy to miss the multimillion-dollar company with a manufacturing facility along Highway 221.Meyco Products Inc. makes pool covers and tents shipped around the country. It was founded in 1898 as a flag and awning manufacturer. In 1957, the company finalized a swimming pool cover patent and has been manufacturing the covers in Moore since 1988. Meyco moved into its 180,000 square-foot facility in 2011.The company's corporate headquarters are in Melville, N.Y., Meyco's original home, but all the manufacturing is done at the plant in Moore. Some alterations and repair work and all design are done at the New York headquarters, which also houses sales and internal accounts."The main reason we moved to the area was for the cut-and-sew skilled labor force. The textile industry had started to leave the area and that left a group of talented employees with nowhere to go," said Meyco president John Ciniglio.Michael Tharpe, Meyco's director of sales, said in peak season, from May to the end of the year, the company can ship almost 6,000 pool covers."In peak season, we'll run 70 to 100 covers a day," he said.Every cover comes with a detailed plan, including length, width and material type. The company offers pool covers made from three different types of material: a lightweight mesh cover, a more durable "rugged" mesh cover, and the permaguard, which is a solid, non-mesh cover.Each pool cover goes through two separate sewing processes. The first one is done by hand for the bigger, easier to handle stitches, and the second one is done mechanically for smaller stitches.During a recent visit to the company, the sound of the sewing machines engulfed the factory floor. At times, the noise was overtaken by the occasional pounding of a mallet, making sure a seam flattens.When a cover is completed, it is stretched across a large, bright yellow section of the factory floor for inspections. Employees with an eye for detail look for straight lines, correct dimensions, the right amount of buckles and springs. The warranty and warranty number are double checked to guarantee the customer gets the correct order.Meyco also offers a repair service that some of the competition doesn't. The company will take in broken or old covers from competitors, measure and replicate it, then send the customer an estimate for a replacement. As for why other companies don't offer a similar deal, Mike Isbell, Meyco's operations manager, joked that it may have something to do with the smell and mess that accompanies a used, dirty pool cover."Dirty covers leave the need to clean the entire manufacturing area," said Tharpe in a more serious tone. "We see it as more of a service to the customer than a way to make profits."Company officials said they also are proud of their relationship with the surrounding community. A group of special needs students from Dorman High School work at the facility Monday through Wednesday. The students put covers on the springs used to hold down the pool covers."We love to have them in here. It's a great morale boost for the employees," he said.In 2006, Meyco bought TopTec tents, in Laurens County. TopTec makes tents used at big events like weddings or corporate gatherings. Meyco decided it would be best for the current and future workforce if tent manufacturing was moved to the facility in Moore, said Ciniglio."Having the South Carolina location has allowed us to not only sustain our business, but grow our business," Ciniglio said. "It's been very beneficial to us."